Square Point of Sale vs Toast POS: POS Systems Compared

Verified by the SoftVane editorial team · June 2026

Square Point of Sale vs Toast POS at a glance

Square Point of Sale

Rating: ★★★★½ 4.6

Price: Free

Best for: Small retailers and service businesses

Toast POS

Rating: ★★★★½ 4.4

Price: $69/month

Best for: Restaurants and food service businesses

Feature-by-feature comparison

Dimension	Square Point of Sale	Toast POS
Starting price	Free	$69/month
Rating	★★★★½ 4.6	★★★★½ 4.4
Best for	Small retailers and service businesses	Restaurants and food service businesses
Top features	Mobile point of sale on phone/tablet, Payment processing, Inventory management	Full restaurant POS system, Kitchen display system, Order management and fulfillment
Top strengths	Flexible hardware options; Easy to set up and use	Built specifically for restaurants; Excellent kitchen management
Main tradeoffs	Limited for large retailers; Can feel limited for complex operations	Expensive for small restaurants; Hardware and implementation costs

When Square Point of Sale wins

Square Point of Sale is the better pick if you prioritize flexible hardware options and easy to set up and use. The entry plan at Free fits teams that want to get running quickly without paying for capabilities they may not need for 12-18 months.

Best for: Small retailers and service businesses

Try Square Point of Sale →

When Toast POS wins

Toast POS is the better pick if you prioritize built specifically for restaurants and excellent kitchen management. The entry plan at $69/month suits teams that already know their workflow and want a platform that scales without surprise pricing tiers later.

Best for: Restaurants and food service businesses

Try Toast POS →

Mistakes to avoid when choosing between Square Point of Sale and Toast POS

Comparing the starter plans only. Both tools usually move you to a middle plan within 6 months. Compare the plan you'll actually use, not the one they advertise.
Ignoring the migration cost. The cheaper monthly fee disappears if migration takes weeks. Ask both vendors for their data-import templates and migration support before committing.
Skipping the integration check. Map your existing stack first, then compare which of these two has native integrations vs. which makes you build a Zapier workflow per connection.
Treating "starts at $X" as the real price. Add seats, advanced features, and payment processing where relevant. Build a 12-month TCO before signing.

Frequently asked questions

Square Point of Sale starts at Free, Toast POS at $69/month. They are similar at the entry tier, but neither stays the cheapest once you add seats and the features you actually need. Always compare total cost at the plan you'll use, not the starter plan.

Yes, both platforms support data import from competitor systems. Toast POS typically provides a migration template and dedicated support during the trial period. Confirm the scope of the migration (records, attachments, history) with the vendor before signing.

For teams under 10 users, either platform usually offers an accessible starter plan. The pricier option often justifies the cost at 15+ users via better reporting and admin controls. If you expect to cross that headcount within a year, factor in the plan jump before deciding.

Both Square Point of Sale and Toast POS ship iOS and Android apps. The functional gap is in offline mode and how much of the desktop feature set works on phones. Walk through your real daily workflow on mobile during the trial. One will feel native; the other will feel like an afterthought.

Not blindly. Most platforms list 100+ integrations, but only a handful matter for your stack. List your 3 to 5 must-have integrations (accounting, payments, calendar, etc.) and check whether each is NATIVE (not Zapier-only) on both platforms. Native integrations are typically faster, cheaper, and more reliable than Zapier-glued ones.

Ready to pick a winner?

Square Point of Sale edges out Toast POS for most teams in our testing. Start a free trial and run your real workflow through it before committing to an annual plan.

Try Square Point of Sale free →